The present invention relates to a lighted panel able to be applied onto posts, in particular posts for road lighting or the like. The device is destined to the display of advertising and/or notices or communications also of public utility.
In current urban dxc3xa9cor, especially in large cities, lighted panels can be widely observed. They generally present ample planar surfaces, mounted, generally opposing each other, on support elements of various shapes and sizes, bearing images and/or captions back-lighted with light sources, generally fluorescent or incandescent lamps situated between such planar surfaces in a box-like container. The purpose of the lighted panels is to make more visible at a distance advertising or informational posters placed on the planar surfaces than they would be if they were lighted by incident light alone, in order more effectively to attract the attention of motorists and pedestrians during night-time hours.
To allow back-lighting, the light sources, usually the so-called neon lamps, are sandwiched between said planar surfaces, generally made of clear plastic material.
This known type of lighted panels with back-lighted surfaces presents some drawbacks. In them, illumination is not distributed uniformly over the entire surface to light and therefore causes the poor definition of the contours of the images or captions to be lighted. A poor level of visual quality is determined, thereby weakening the communication effectiveness of an advertising message. Moreover, the luminosity of known panels, with the strong contrasts of the light that exits therefrom, creates a blinding or in any case an annoying effect for those who watch, whilst too weak a light leads them to turn their gaze away from the image or caption. Additionally, current structures for the display of advertising posters require ample display surfaces and need scaffolding, frames, uprights, and other bulky support structures, which generally have the tendency to influence negatively on a landscape and, in particular, on an urban decor. The costs of these lighted panels are increased, in addition to the provision of such structures, also by the need to connect them to an adequate electrical power supply. Moreover, current lighted panels are unidirectional, in that they are visible only frontally, unless arched panel surfaces, visible from multiple directions, are created.
The aim of the present invention, therefore, is to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks manifested by prior art lighted panels.
In particular an aim of the present invention is to allow the uniform lighting of images and/or captions.
Another aim of the present invention is to create an illumination of images and/or captions which does not cause annoyance to motorists and pedestrians, and which complies with the provisions of the Rules of the Road, in particular not endangering road circulation.
Yet a further aim of the invention is to allow viewing images and/or captions with high definition, in a clear and attractive manner.
An additional aim of the present invention is to realise lighted panels which do not require bulky structures that may negatively impact on the landscape.
Still another aim of the present invention is to provide sets of lighted panels visible from multiple directions.
A further aim of the invention is to realise a lighted panel which allows for the easy replacement of the images and/or captions to be displayed, without requiring a large employment of means and operative personnel.
Yet an additional aim of the invention is to realise lighted panels which do not entail problems for their connection to an electrical power supply grid.
These aims, and others besides, are all attained by a lighted panel display able to be applied onto posts, in particular road lighting posts or the like, for the display of advertisements and/or notices or communications also of public utility, which, from a general point of view, is characterised in that it comprises at least a board comprising:
a frame having, as its horizontal sides, a lower and upper elongated plates, both provided, on opposite faces, with housing seats for a panel and, on corresponding flanks, with means for fastening to a road lighting post or the like and, as vertical sides, two hollow section uprights with longitudinal opening for housing a panel;
a panel for the lighted display of images and/or captions, having lower and upper edges received in said respective housing seats obtained on said lower and upper elongated plates and side edges inserted and held by said uprights in their said longitudinal housing opening;
means for controlling, powering and lighting the panel;
a covering and finishing element removably fastened onto said upper elongated plate;
said lower elongated plate being provided, in correspondence with the respective extremities of said panel housing seat, with a pair of equal receiving cavities, of conforming section, of the lower extremities of said uprights; said upper elongated plate being provided, in correspondence with the respective extremities of said panel housing seat, with a pair of through holes of conforming section for the upper extremities of said uprights, respective closure stoppers being provided for said through holes.
Advantageously, the structures for the support of the lighted panels according to the invention are represented by elements already present in an urban dxc3xa9cor, such as lighting posts or the like, thereby considerably reducing the installation costs of the panels themselves.
Moreover, the lighted panels according to the invention, being mounted on lighting posts, are advantageously near an electrical power supply line and this allows a further considerable saving in their installation costs.
Further features and advantages of the present invention shall become more readily apparent from the detailed description that follows of preferred embodiments, illustrated purely by way of non limiting indication in the accompanying drawings.